Fire-hose supporter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J; E. BRAMBLE. FIRE HOSE SUPPORTER. No. 544,951. Patented Aug; 20, 1895.

WITNESSES: INVENTOf? fl f- Z I W/ZWM 7 By 71?) A fro/m5 rs.

'(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. E. BRAMBLE. FIRE HOSE SUPPORTER;

Patented Aug. 20, 1895.

WITNESSES: MW

UNITED STATES: PA-T NT OFFICE.

JAMES ELWORTH BRAMBLE, on GAINESVILLE, TEXAS.

FIRE-HOSE; SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 544,951, dated August20, 1895.

Application filed January 31, 18 9 5. Serial Llo- 536,854; (No model.) i

To all whom; it may concern;

Beit known that 1, JAMES ELWORTH BEA BLE, of Gainesville, in the countyof Cooke and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Fire-HoseSupporter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in a device for supportingfire-hose, so that it may be conveniently and thoroughly washed andeasily dried. l

The object of my invention is to produce a device of this kind which maybe easily spread out in a substantially horizontal position, so that thehose may be conveniently "stretched upon it and washed; also, to providemeans for elevating the hosecarrying frames, so that the hose may beheld away from the ground where it will be quickly acted on by the aircurrents, and away from the objectionable heat radiated from the groundin hot weather; to provide devices by which the hose may be supportedwithout injury; 'to make the apparatus in such a way that it may bequickly and easily worked, and in general to produce a device of thisclass which can carry alarge quantity of hose and can be worked in a wayto enable the hose to be washed and dried better than by the use ofordinary contrivances of the class named.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of constructionand combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter de-v scribed andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formingapart ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of-my improved apparatus in a raisedposition and with several sections of hose supported on it. Fig. 2 is avertical cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a brokendetail sectional view showing the position of the parts when thehose-frames are stretched out to receive the hose. 1 Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail sectional view of the frames when in a raised position,the view showing, also, the mechanism for raising them. Fig. 5 is anenlargeddetail sectional view showing the manner in which thehose-supporting frames are guided in their movements. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view showing the manner in which the hose frames are pivoted;and Fig. 7is a detail sectional view of the device for clamping the hoseto the'frames, so as to relieve the middle part of the hose of theexcessive strain which would be caused byhanging the hose from themiddle over the stretching-frames.

The apparatus is provided with an upright frame 10, which has suitablefoot-braces 11 to steady it, and this upright or main frame carries thestretcher-frames, each comprising the longitudinal rails 12 and thecross-slats 18, and these stretcher-frames are adapted to be extended ina substantially horizontal position, so that the hose may'be easily laidon V them, as in Fig. 3, or elevated to a nearly vertical position, asin Fig. 2, so that the hose may be suspended in a manner to quicklydrain and dry. To this end the rails 12 of the stretcher-frame are attheir inner and upper ends pivoted, as shown at 14, to a crossbar 15,which has at its ends rollers 16, adapted to run in the vertical groovesor slideways 17 in the side rails of the frame 10. If desired, theguide-rollers 16 may be dispensed with and the rod 15 extended into theslideways 17, in which case the ends of the rod are perfectly squared.The slideways 17 may be made either of wood or metal, as preferred. Atthe points where the inner ends of the stretcherframes meet is a hosebridge or guard 18, which rides on the cross-bar15, and is held in placeby arms 19, which embrace the rails 12 of the stretcher-frame. Theobject of this bridge is to prevent the hose from being bent too shortat this point when the stretcher iselevated, as hereinafter described.The hose 20 is adapted to be laid upon the outstretched frames, and inorder that the strain may not all come on the middle of thehose-sections when the frames are elevated, clamping-bars 21 are used,which clamp the hose-sections at necessary intervals. to. thestretcher-frames, and these bars may be fastened in any convenient way,a suitable fastening being shown in Fig. 7, which comprises a hook 22 tosupport the clamping-bar, the hook having a bent end 23 to engage one ofthe cross-pieces 13 of the stretcher-frame.

The inner ends of the frames 12 13 are raised by means of a chain 23,the ends of which are secured to staples 24, or equivalent devices onthe ends of the cross-bar 15, and the chain '23 connects with a cable25, which extends upward and outward over guide-pulleys 26 and 27, andthen down to a Windlass 28 at the foot of the frame 10. It will be seenthat by turning the Windlass and winding up the cable 25 the inner endsof the stretcher-frames are raised, while the outer ends are drawngradually together, and by unwindingthe cable the inner ends of theframes are permitted to drop,

In order that the stretcher-frames may swing automatically to place andbe suitably braced, braces 29 are provided for them, which at theirupper ends are pivoted to cross-bars 30, connecting the rails 12, and attheir lower ends are journaled on a cross-bar 31, which is secured tothe frame 10 near the foot of the ladder. A spacing-bar 32 is placed onthe cross-bar 31 between the opposite pairs of braces 29, so as to holdthem the correct distance apart. The spacing-bar may be made either ofwood or metal.

' When the inner ends of the stretcher-frames are raised, the outer endsswing gradually inward to the position shown in Fig. 2, and when theinner ends of the frames are lowered the upper ends of the braces 29swing outward, carrying with them the stret0l1erframes and causing themto spread tothe position shown in Fig. 3.

When the stretcher-frames are elevated to the position shown in Fig. 2,they are fastened by chains 33 or equivalent devices, these chains beingsecured to the cross-bar 31 and adapted to engage hooks 34 oh the undersides of the stretcher-frames near the outer ends of said frames.

In order that the stretcher-frames may be supported when spread out,they are provided with drop-legs 35, which are pivoted to the rails 12,as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3.

When a quantity of hose is to be washed, the chains 33 are released andthe stretcherframes dropped to the position shown in Fig.

2. A fire hose supporter, comprising a pair of skeleton frames, eachcomprising the 101igitudinal rails and the cross slats connecting saidrails, a cross bar to which the inner ends of the rails are pivotallyconnected, a hoisting device to raise the inner ends of the frames, andswinging braces pivoted to the opposite frames and to a cross barsupported between them, substantially as described.

3. A fire hose supporter, comprising a pair of skeleton frames pivotedtogether at their inner ends, a guide for the frames, a hoisting deviceto raise and lower the inner ends of the frames, and clamping devices tofasten hose to the frames, substantially as described.

'4. A fire hose supporter, comprising a pair of skeleton frames pivotedtogether at their inner ends, a hoisting device to raise and lower theinner ends of the frames clamping devices to fasten hose to the frames,a guide for the inner ends of the frames, braces pivoted to the oppositeframes and to a support between the frames, and a fastening device tohold the frames in an elevated position, substantially as described.

5. A fire hose supporter, comprising an upright frame, a pair ofskeleton frames, a cross bar pivoted to the skeleton frames and slidablein the upright frame, a second cross bar at the foot of the uprightframe, braces pivoted to the lower cross bar and to the oppositeskeleton frames, and a cable and Windlass for raising the sliding crossbar, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the skeleton frames, and the cross bar to whichthe inner ends of said frames are pivotally connected,

of the concaved hose bridge extending longi-

